Suddenly, Mary Kociencki was on the spot. Kutztown University's No. 1 starting pitcher Sam Derr had battled a cold all week, culminating with a Game 1 loss to West Virginia Wesleyan College in a best-of-three NCAA Atlantic Super Regional playoff series. A berth in the Division II College Softball World Series was on the line, and Kutztown could not afford another loss.

That placed a lot on the shoulders of Kociencki, a 2011 Sparta graduate, as Kutztown faced both Games 2 and 3 the following day, May 12. It was up to Kociencki — a promising freshman but a freshman nonetheless — to keep Kutztown's World Series hopes afloat.

"After that (series-opening) loss, I knew I had to come back big and pull through for my teammates," Kociencki said.

Kociencki won both games, going the full seven innings in each, allowing just one total run, as Kutztown swept the day and earned a berth in the World Series. Though the Golden Bears were halted in the semifinals, their postseason success brought a sparkling end to what had already been a fruitful freshman campaign for Kociencki, the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference East Division Freshman Pitcher of the Year.

Kociencki had finished her high school career with her bat getting the most attention after she won two state playoff games with home runs during Sparta's dash to a Group 3 championship last year. But on the mound was where she impacted Kutztown this spring, going 16-1 with a 1.34 ERA, 15 complete games and 52 strikeouts in 1151⁄3 innings.

Though coming in as one of this season's newbies, Kociencki says it was easy to blend right in with her Kutztown teammates.

"I had seen them prior to actually going to Kutztown," Kociencki recalled, "because I had gone to a softball clinic. So I had met some of the girls and I made a lot of friends coming to Kutztown. I bonded pretty (well) with most of my (future) teammates."

Derr pitched the Kutztown season opener against UNC-Pembroke on Feb. 3. The next day, it was Kociencki's turn, time for her first starting nod as a collegiate.

"I have to be honest, I was a little nervous," Kociencki said. "My first couple of pitches were a little bit shaky, but other than that, after the first inning, I was pretty much good."

Kociencki's first start turned into her first complete game, as she went seven innings and allowed one earned run.

"Winning my first college game was really exciting for me," she said, "and it really built my confidence up."

After pitching shutouts in her next two starts, the inevitable adversity hit. In her next start against UMass Lowell on March 10 in Ocoee, Fla., Kociencki surrendered five earned runs in three innings, though her teammates rallied to win, 11-7.

"It is college-level. You can't win every game," Kociencki said. "But I don't like to lose; nobody likes to lose. Just doing that made me want to come back and beat them even more."

She rebounded quickly from the rough outing, with her next start two days later against Minot State (N.D.) in Clermont, Fla. In a 10-inning meat-grinder, Kociencki went the distance, overcoming six walks, five hits and a hit batter while allowing just three earned runs to get the win.

"I knew I had to come back and stay strong for my teammates," she said. "I knew I had a great defense behind me. I knew I had to push through the innings and get the game over with."

Kutztown kept rolling to a 48-4 record entering the Super Regional series with West Virginia Wesleyan. In Game 1, Derr pitched well, but allowed two runs in the top of the fourth inning, and that proved to be the difference, as she was dealt only her third loss in 31 decisions.

With the cold Derr was battling sapping her energy, Kociencki had to step up. And did she ever.

In Game 2, Kociencki went seven innings, allowed no runs and four hits while firing a 1-0 shutout with 104 pitches. That was a full day's work, but Game 3 was later the same day. "Coming into the second game," Kociencki said, "I knew I really had to dig down deep and get the win."

She did, throwing 100 pitches as Kutztown notched a 5-1 victory.

"That far into the season, I wasn't really nervous," Kociencki said. "Probably the last couple of innings of the second game, I was. But I more so had an adrenaline rush than nervousness."

With the win, it was off to Louisville, Ky., for the World Series. Derr recovered and pitched the Golden Bears to a pair of victories before they lost twice to eventual champion Valdosta State to end their postseason run. In the first semifinal game, Kociencki and Derr alternated on the mound, with Kociencki starting and finishing the game, but Derr taking the loss. That was Kociencki's last appearance of the season.

Kociencki will head into 2013 as the unquestioned No. 1 starter, as Derr is transferring to Lebanon Valley College. Kociencki was at Kutztown this week, already focused on what she has to improve for next year.

"I need to work on my walks," she said. "I walked a lot of people (41) this season. Other than that, I learned that you really need to have a bond with your teammates, or else the game isn't going to go the way you want. ... We definitely had it on the field at Kutztown, but nothing like the Sparta bond."